"Willing participant": Step-father's sex assault defence

A STEP-FATHER who had sex with his 16-year-old step-daughter believed she was a "willing participant" in their affair.

On day two of the Rockhampton man's sex assault trial, the Rockhampton District Court heard the man admit to having sexual relations with his step-daughter during the police interview which followed his arrest on April 13, 2015.

The man pleaded not guilty to one count of common assault, two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault,

During the video evidence, the man told the child protection investigators his step-daughter had come to him prior to her 16th birthday and said she was "desperate to have sex".

He went on to say after he discussed this with his wife, the girl's mother, the couple allowed the girl to invite two boys over who she had sex with on separate ocassions.

The man, who was 39 at the time of offending, said he became sexually involved with his step-daughter soon after her 16th birthday when he and the girl began to regularly "masturbate in front of each other" underneath the house.

The defendant also admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with her on three occasions, touching her vagina " to get her off" and showering with her over the course of about one month.

"I don't think I forced her to do anything," the man said during the hour-long interview.

"Am I to blame? I suppose so, but I don't think I forced her to do anything, I don't know what else to say."

The defendant also alleged the girl's mother had joined them in the shower on several occasions, had sex with him in front of the complainant and that the mother was aware he had a sexual relationship with her daughter.

The man said the couple's reasoning behind the behaviour was it would help the girl "experiment" and was part of the process of "bringing her out" after she expressed confusion over her sexuality.

In her evidence today, the mother denied showering with her husband and daughter together, but had become aware they were sexually involved when she came home to find her daughter in the shower, while her husband "dried off".

She said she was confused to see a condom slip out from his phone case as they did not use them and the man told her "there had been two (condoms)".

The mother told the court her daughter "never said the sex was not consensual, but she did tell her she did not enjoy it" the day after Cyclone Marcia hit.

She said this is when the pair told the man their sexual relations would not continue and the accused kicked the daughter out the following day.